Treatment And Management Options For OCD

I Must Shave My Legs: The OCD Miniseries - Part 6

Once you’ve been properly diagnosed with obsessive-compulsive disorder, there are three main categories of treatment and management options for you: psychotherapy, medications, and self-care.

Psychotherapy

The Mayo Clinic gives a great, thorough definition of psychotherapy.

In short, psychotherapy is effective for both children and adults, and the form of psychotherapy called “cognitive behavior therapy” is generally used for treating and managing OCD. If your doctor suggests cognitive behavior therapy, you may engage in activities designed to help you retrain your current routines and thought patterns in order to squash compulsive behaviors, i.e. make them no longer necessary.

Medications

Of course, you knew medication was going to be an OCD treatment and management option. Drugs that have been approved by the FDA (and are heavily of the antidepressant persuasion) are commonly prescribed to folks with OCD; however, some doctors also recommend other types of medications - even those that aren’t yet FDA-approved.

In the end, and as it always is with medications, it’s up to both you and your doctor to determine which medication - if any - is right for you. On a personal note, I noticed that my OCD symptoms dramatically decreased (if not outright disappeared) when I took antidepressants. I just didn’t seem to care as much anymore about the things - the obsessions - that caused my compulsive behavior. However, I didn’t seem to care as much about anything else, either, so…

Self-Care

Self-care is an important part of any mental health treatment and management plan. Without taking care of yourself, the chances of therapy and medication working - regardless of the combination - are slim.

Your doctor will undoubtedly discuss with you ways you can better take care of yourself and help managed your OCD. Below are a few suggestions to give you an idea:

• Stick with the treatment plan you and your doctor have developed. This includes properly taking your medications and keeping your doctor informed about their effectiveness and any side effects.
• Learn as much as you can about OCD. Knowledge is power, my friends. Getting an upper hand on the disorder helps you better recognize and manage your symptoms - not to mention falling prey to stigma and stereotypes.
• Surround your self with support. Family members, friends, and support groups are important to help you manage any mental illness. And, when it comes to your family members and friends, it really helps if they understand the disorder, so don’t be afraid to educate them.
• Don’t use drugs or alcohol as coping methods. They don’t work, period. Sure, they may make you forget your problems, but it’s temporary amnesia. Your problems won’t go away, and you’ll always end up remembering them. Sooner or later you’ll need more and more alcohol or drugs to get the same numbing effect and, before you know it, you’ll have an addiction to add on to your list of troubles. Just say no people!
• Finally, try not to isolate yourself. You may prefer to run solo, but honestly, being in the company of others every now and then - even if it’s just on the phone - really does help.

Have any of these OCD treatment and management options worked for you? Have any of them not? Share your stories in the comments, and stay tuned for information about complications that arise when OCD is left untreated and unmanaged.

Image credit: Dani Simmonds.